Into the Dark
by Inkcharm
Summary: UPDATE! CHAP. 2: AN EMPTY GRAVE -- For 10 years they believed Zuko to be dead. Now Fire Lord Iroh wants them to look for his nephew. While the Gaang deals with the possibility of Zuko's survival, a dangerous plot is being advanced. -Kataang, Zutara, Sukka
1. Prologue: White Marble

**Title:** Into the Dark  
**Author:** Yumeko Dragonfly  
**Summary:** The statue was supposed to remind people of the sacrifices that had to be made in order to end the war. It was also Iroh's personal way of holding on to his nephew.  
**Warnings:** AU (changes most events as shown in the Sozin's comet arch), violence  
**Pairings:** full package, everyone… You'll get bits of Zutara, Toko, Maiko, Kataang and of course the ever present Sukka in here. Which ones of these are fragments of the past? Which are one-sided, which will make it through to the end? Read and find out!  
**Disclaimer:** The TV show "Avatar - The Last Airbender" does not belong to me, nor do its characters or anything related to the show. I make no profit out of this story, it is written merely for fun and entertainment of other fans.  
**Part:** Prologue/?  
**A/N:** At the start of the show, both Aang and Toph were 12 years old, Katara was 14, Sokka 15 and Zuko 16. As far as I know, a year has passed between the show's start and the finale. Since this story takes place ten years into the future, I'm going to assume the following ages: Aang and Toph are 23, Katara is 25, Sokka 26 and that would make Zuko 27.

* * *

**Into the Dark **  
_Prologue: White Marble_

Blue and Green and Yellow and Red. The town square was a sea of colours, drifting around each other, mixing, swirling, dancing. Banners fluttered merrily in the breeze and benders from all the nations showed off their skill by performing artistic tricks.

"Woah, look at THAT!"

In the disance she could make out sparks, followed by a gush of flames. The fire shot into the air, where the sparks danced on a manipulated wind. Sand rose from the ground and was moulded into a beautiful goblet, which was enshrouded by the flames and molten to pure glass. Finally, water poured itself into the glass goblet. The whole construction rose into the air before it exploded into bright fireworks.

The crowd cheered for the bowing benders.

The air was heavy with delicious smells. National specialties from all four nations were being served, and most people could not resist a cup of the world's most famous brand of tea.

Laughter and cheers echoed through the whole city. People were dancing together on the streets regardless of their origins, just enjoying life and this day in particular. Everywhere she gazed, she could see peace and happiness.

Suki winced in sympathy as she noticed a beggar dressed in black rags being shoved beyond the city's gates. Well, maybe not exactly everywhere. There was still poverty and some cruelty left in the world, but it had become a much better place.

Ten years had passed since the war had been brought to an end, and everyone had worked hard to heal the world's scars. Finally, there was peace and the four nations had moved together again in companionship other than a desperate attempt to shield against an enemy. There was still some tension, especially towards the Fire Nation, but that, too, was already starting to ease. People were willing to forgive and forget in order to know peace once more. The Avatar and his friends had made sure to spread the tales of courage and honor shown by certain Fire Nation individuals, as well as the tales of corruption and misleading they had witnessed everywhere in the world. No nation was above bringing forth those individuals, and people were willing to give the Fire Nation a second chance. This was a new generation they were facing, a generation born after the war started, but raised to believe that it was meant to help the world. They, too, were willing to do their share in order to make things work out.

Sokka pulled his wife towards him, grinning. "Suki, you gotta check those showmen back there – they are pulling off some amazing metalbending!" He waved both arms excitedly in the general direction, then noticed what Suki was looking at. "Don't worry!" he murmured, lips brushing against her ear. "They probably slipped the guy some food. You know how picky Iroh and his staff can be even with the lowest ranking guard."

Suki grinned and kissed him. How much he had come to know her in the past few years still amazed her sometimes. Her Sokka had grown up to be a wonderful man without losing all of his foolishness, something for which she was incredibly glad. It meant he'd make a great father soon.

Laughing, she let herself be dragged towards the showmen, one hand placed tenderly on her already slightly swollen belly.

The men on stage were metalbenders alright, which meant they had been visiting Ba Sing Se's new bending school, where Toph Bei Fong taught both earth- and metalbending to those who needed guidance. Despite her youth there were major waiting lists for the courses she gave herself, and the school had been expanding rapidly. What had once been a small shelter for a handful of people who did not have any other way of learning – for they were either too poor or had been forbidden to do so like Toph – was now a huge complex of buildings with a variety of earthbending teachers; all of whom had been Toph's students a few years ago. The school had gained an incredible reputation over time, so that rich families considered it an honour for their children to be tested for potential and taught there. Toph made sure to keep the numbers of wealthy people even with those who weren't off that good. There were no school fees, but they managed perfectly fine due to donations from all over the world – many of those coming from the Fire Lord himself, though those were less official. Benders graduating from Invisibility – Toph had come up with that name herself, believing it to be oh so damn funny considering that she could not see her own institution – were able to get employment basically anywhere. In fact, Suki knew that Iroh himself employed quite a few earth- and metalbenders as architects of various sorts.

She joined the cheering and applauding as the benders finished their performance.

"So, my dearest husband, how about you go hunt some food for your starving wife?"

Sokka grinned, lifted her up a few inches and twirled her around, causing a lighthearted laugh to fall from her lips. They both had been infected by the joy of their upcoming parenthood as well as the happiness surrounding them. Life was treating them good and they made sure to enjoy it as much as they could. As they wandered through the city, people recognized them, clapped them on their shoulders and backs, shook their hands, and even ten years after the war they were still granted special prices at most booths. Sokka complained about food not being completely free under his breath but was silenced by a very loving elbow being shoved into his side.

"I can't wait to meet the others again!" he announced instead. "We haven't seen them in ages."

In fact, they had not seen them for almost a year. Each of them had things to do, places to be all the time, but not matter how busy they were, neither of their group would have ever missed the invitation to stay with the Fire Lord for a month after the festivities ended. So each year they could meet up no matter what else had kept them busy during the year.

Aang had made himself especially rare, so that he was the only one they really had only seen once each of the past ten years, but they could understand. There was a lot to do for him, after all.

After the war had ended he had started travelling the world for three years, only showing up for the annual holiday. When his search had proven fruitless, though, he had started working on the unique powers he as the Avatar possessed. He had started with his ability to block off people's bending skills completely, twisted it and invented a new technique for himself and future Avatar's; Mentoring he called it. It basically allowed him to replace a bender's natural element with any other one. However, it meant they had to start from scratch. Many children orphaned by the war had taken up that chance, though, grabbing the chance to start a new life. Aang had taught them airbending and helped them make a home in the Western Air Temple. They were not air nomads as Aang himself had known them, but he was positive they would form the fourth nation once more in their own way, thus ensuring the world's balance. Aang had yet to find a way to teach airbending to people from the Earth Kingdom, seeing as their natural element was the opposite of air. He was positive, however, that he would be able to work something out. Apart from that, he was also trying to be everywhere at once, for it seemed that all nations could still need the help of the Avatar. With everything.

Suki tried not to think about those three years of searching too much. They all knew what Aang had been looking for, and it was too painful a reminder of what their victory had cost them.

"Sokka! Suki!"

They glanced around until they noticed a young woman dressed in blue and white, standing on tiptoes and waving her arm excitedly. Sokka practically squeaked and dashed towards Katara, swooping her up in a giant hug, while Suki followed at a more moderate pace. Not that she wasn't happy to see Katara again, but she was rather worried about getting sick before she had even had something to eat. Morning sickness was just one of the many things she would somday hold against this child when it decided to act up with the strong spirit it was sure going to inherit from both it's parents.

"Sister!" Sokka roared and only put said woman down when she gave him a light slap.

Laughing, the two women hugged. Both Katara and Hakoda had made it easy for Suki to feel part of the family, and she knew she'd always be able to count on the waterbender to have her back in any argument with Sokka. Like the one they had six months ago about taking out the garbage. She wouldn't have won that one without Katara.

"It's so good to see you two again. I wish I could have visited Kyoshi Island more often." Katara beamed and looked at Suki's belly with unveiled curiosity and happiness. "Sokka mentioned you were expecting in his last letter. I can't wait to see my little nephew or niece! This is so wonderful. Congratulations!" And they hugged again. Suki just smiled patiently. She had gotten used to other women getting way gushier over her pregnancy than herself. It was fine. Besides, this was Katara. "Can I touch it?"

"No way. Sokka says there's not to be any fondling of his wife's belly until the baby starts kicking. The exact timing of that depends on whether it inherits it's fathers laziness."

Katara's face lit up with mirth. The waterbender had grown up nicely. She had found her purpose in travelling and lending a helping hand wherever she went. Sokka always said he wished his little sister would settle down, but then he'd scrunch up his face and mumble something about a Painted Lady, as though remember that was crucial. Obviously, Katara was more than happy to help people all over the world at her own leisure, and she had a good life, as far as Suki knew. She was famous and welcome in every nation, city and village. Katara would spend some months of the year training waterbenders, and apart from that she'd be wherever she felt she was currently needed, as a healer, adviser, ambassador, negotiator, teacher. She had taken a liking to sharing both her skills and her knowledge, so that Suki was positive one of these days Katara might just settle down with the single purpose of teaching.

Katara's eyes clouded over. "Have you guys been to the statues already?"

Sokka shook his head. "Nah. We figured we should all go there together. I mean… it's been ten years now." His arm went to rest around Suki's shoulders, pulling her close once more. He tried to hide the hint of sadness behind a carefree smile, but both women saw right through it. They knw how he felt. As much as they all enjoyed their lives and he annual celebrations, the event was also always tinged with sad memories.

"You don't know, then? Toph already arrived a few days ago, so she already paid her visit, and Aang won't be here until tomorrow. Iroh told me he got a letter from him. He's obviously found a new orphaned firebender who's eager to start a new life, so he wants to take the time to introduce him to the other airbenders and instruct him on the basics."

"My, he's really gotten something started there, huh? Last time I got an update they told me the count was up to three dozen."

Suki nodded. "We could ask one of the airbenders performing at the square later on."

"Good idea." Katara made a small, fluttering gesture. "Aang told me he's stopped actively searching for people with potential for now, though. He doesn't want to rush things, said it's more important to let them adapt to their new life, find some balance and everything. Besides, there are obviously some pregnancies and they all can't wait to see whether or not they're going to bring forth some natural airbenders. I couldn't agree more. I mean, the world is peaceful now, they've got all the time they need to adapt."

The news surprised Suki a little, but for a different reason. "So… you guys are getting along again? That's great!" It sounded a little forced even to her own ears. Katara did not seem to mind too much, though.

"Neither of us wanted to hold that particular grudge. We took some time to talk when I stayed at the Western Air Temple last year, so… things have been looking better, I guess."

It had been difficult for all of them. Despite their different tasks during the past ten years, both had thrown themselves into their relationship right after defeating Ozai, choosing to blatantly ignore the stain on both the victory as well as their feelings. It had not helped, though, and after a few years all the emotions they kept bottled up took over, resulting in a nasty break-up two years ago. Everyone had suffered with them. To see them pulling themselves together once more was nice, although Suki wasn't so sure herself where this could possibly lead. Were they going to make up sometime in the future? Or were they simply trying to re-establish their old bond of friendship?

Very confusing.

Suki wondered if them not wanting to hold that grudge had anything to do with what Toph had said at their lasting meeting about the way they acted towards each other.

"You're bringing shame on Sparky, you know?"

Well. It had shut them up alright and created a completely different kind of tension.

"We should go to the statues now and catch something to eat afterwards. I can't wait to see Iroh and Mai again tonight."

Suki and Sokka didn't say anything, but they followed Katara nonetheless. Climbing a huge flight of black marble stairs they reached a platform on a hill almost as high above the city as the palace. It was strange, gazing down from here. The colours stood out vividly even from the height, but the laughter and music did not reach their ears anymore. They could make out the performances of some benders, they could see dancing people. But the platform was very solitary and secluded, just as Iroh had wished it to be.

Two pedestals were located here. The one visitors could see immediately sported slightly larger than life statues of the victorious war heroes – Aang at the centre, Katara, Sokka, Suki and Toph slightly behind and next to him. All of them were striking battle poses, but the statues had happy, innocent smiles forever plastered on their faces. It was a beautiful piece of art, meant to remind all generations to come of good this group of friends had brought the world. There were identical statues located all over the four nations by now. It made Suki uneasy to see her younger self carved from stone for eternity, but at the same time it always warmed her heart to gaze upon the statue and appreciate the changes in her life that had taken place.

The platform was beautiful, made of marble with deep red railings, surrounded by trees and protected from curious gazes. Staying silent, they took a moment to bathe in the serene feeling it created, before they moved on, their hearts as heavy as they were every year when they finally made it up here.

On the other end of the platform stood a white marble statue. Sadness filled Suki's heart as she looked at the never changing features of one Prince Zuko. The marmoreal prince was standing tall and proud, facing east towards the sunrise. In one hand, outstretched towards people walking up to the statue, he held a copper brazier in which Iroh personally lit a flame each and every morning, while in the other hand, held close to his heart, he clutched the remains of some sort of crystal globe. Iroh had never bothered to explain that part of the statue to them.

The stone face was frozen in an expression of grim determination. The statue was supposed to remind people of the sacrifices that had to be made in order to end the war. It was also Iroh's personal way of holding on to his nephew.

The three of them bowed low before the statue before stepping forward, touching the pedestal and getting lost in their own thoughts for a while. When it was Suki's turn, she looked at white marble eyes and recalled golden irises filled with flames.

___Hello there, Zuko. Another year has passed, making this the tenth anniversary of Ozai's defeat. Things are in motion, as usual. I'm with child, can you imagine? I can just see your reaction to that. You'd raise and eyebrow and ask me if I was out of my mind to make Sokka a father. But as I already told you, he changed. Grew up, sort of. As much as he can, anyway, and I think he'll do great. I think we'll manage just fine. It looks like Katara and Aang are finally getting back on the right track with each other. I can't wait to hear what's new with Toph and Iroh and Mai – I still wonder if she'll ever get over you. But this is not the time for such thoughts. Aang found a new boy for the new Air… well.. I don't think they have settled on a name yet. They are no nation, no kingdom, no tribe, but they are certainly not nomads. Well, I guess they'll come up with something over time. I'm sure Aang will tell you more details on that when he gets here. The Kyoshi Warriors are doing fine, too. Tay Lee has dedicated herself to teaching the youngsters. I'm really glad. She's good with the young ones and that way, she can introduce them to some of her more unique techniques early on. People keep asking me whether I want a boy or a girl. I don't think I have a preference, to be honest. I guess what I want most of all is to give birth to a child that can live without war and sorrow. I want him or her to enjoy everything we all fought so hard for to obtain. Everything you gave yourself for. I'll leave you to yourself again, Zuko. Stand watch for us, so that we may enjoy another year of peace and happiness. Oh, and sweets? I know I keep telling you each and every year, but since you'll never listen, let me just say again that you seriously need to do something about that hair. _

Smiling, she stepped back from the statue and winked at his unchanging features. His hair was just as tousled and unkempt as it had been during all the time he had spent with the Gaang. Her eyes were dry, though they mirrored some leftover sadness. Suki wished she could tell Zuko all of this in person.

Sokka placed his arms over the shoulders of the two most important women in his life and led them away from the platform and down the stairs in absolute, bittersweet silence. Only when they reached the ground did he allow himself to speak.

"Let's grab some food and celebrate."

Suki chuckled. "I thought we'd never get around to that…"

She watched her husband rush off in the attempt to search the most delicious food for his pregnant wife, while she stayed behind and allowed Katara to link arms with her. After all these years, Suki did not need to look over to know there were unshed tears in the waterbender's eyes. So she just placed on hand on the dark-skinned one clutching her arm.

Some scars would always hurt from time to time. And maybe it was for the better. Because none of them ever wanted to forget.

* * *

What sacrifices were made in the battle against Ozai?  
What happened to Zuko?  
What happened between Aang and Katara... and how is Zuko connected to that?

Drop some reviews and you might just find out in the future chapters of "Into the Dark".  
Thank you for reading!

Yours, Yumeko Dragonfly

PS: Before you ask whether or not I actually killed Zuko - I'd just like to make it known that he is my very favourite character. And I like to hurt my very favourite characters. Lots.


	2. Ch 1: The Egg of the Phoenix

**Title:** Into the Dark  
**Author:** Inkcharm  
**Summary:** It was a nice feeling, like a humming against her feet, whispering to her that the world was alright. Only, it was not.  
**Warnings:** angst, violence, AU-ish (changes most events as shown in "Sozin's Comet")  
**Pairings:** full package, everyone… You'll get bits of Zutara, Toko, Maiko, Kataang and of course the ever present Sukka in here. Which ones of these are fragments of the past? Which are one-sided, which will make it through to the end? Read and find out!  
**Disclaimer:** The TV show "Avatar - The Last Airbender" does not belong to me, nor do its characters or anything related to the show. I make no profit out of this story, it is written merely for fun and entertainment of other fans.  
**Part:** 1/?  
**A/N:** At the start of the show, both Aang and Toph were 12 years old, Katara was 14, Sokka 15 and Zuko 16. As far as I know, a year has passed between the show's start and the finale. Since this story takes place ten years into the future, I'm going to assume the following ages: Aang and Toph are 23, Katara is 25, Sokka 26 and that would make Zuko 27.

* * *

**Into the Dark **  
_Chapter 1: The Egg of the Phoenix_

___"There is a power stored deep within you, and you will need to draw upon it if you wish to win this battle. Neither Ozai nor Azula will give you much time to catch your breath, so you have to be prepared to descend to your core quickly. It will be difficult. It will be painful. But if you make it, it will ensure victory. This power is everything you were not ready to wield in the past. The reserves that were supposed to slowly and steadily flow into you as you'd grow each and every day. We don't have the time to wait for that to happen. You need that power now. And you need all of it at once."_

**--**

The sun was setting, and night was starting to pull her velvet blanket over the world. Golden rays caressed white marble, giving the prince's features an ethereal glow. The sunlight that glided past the statue fell upon a lone figure.

Upon seeing him, one would not call him handsome. He was short and stout, and furthermore he was getting unmistakably old. However, it was impossible to tell that it was not just age that had painted white streaks into his silvery-gray hair. A few deep lines were carved into his broad face. Most of them were located around his mouth and in the corners of his eyes, marking him for a man who liked to laugh. Fewer lines marred his forehead, marking him also for a man who was not beyond sorrow and bitterness.

"It is a lovely evening", Iroh remarked. His tired gaze swept across the platform once, before it settled on his nephew again. "I hope you could enjoy the festivities so far." The people were still celebrating. They would not really stop for quite a few days, but Iroh did not mind. He was glad for those few days of carelessness that united the world each and every year. There would be some lovely fireworks later tonight. He only wished he could stay up here and enjoy them with his nephew.

Slowly he poured his tea. It was of a rich colour, golden and warm. People called it Golden Phoenix. He liked to call it Zuko, privately, and it made him smile every time to think of the boy's reaction to the tea's unofficial name.

Only, he was not a boy anymore, even though the statue would be seventeen forever.

"Twentyseven", he murmured. "Ah, Zuko. You're not a boy anymore. You're a man. But bear with me, for I am old. You will always be a boy to me. My boy." Slowly he sipped the tea and imagined his nephew being there – he still visualized him at the age of seventeen, he couldn't really help himself. "Would you like a cup of Zuko"? he'd ask. "A cup of… come again?" Zuko'd reply, his good eye widened and a scandalized expression on his face. Oh, how he would seethe at having to share his name with his Uncle's latest brand of tea. And oh, how Iroh's heart would swell, for of course Zuko would casually take a sip anyway.

Golden Phoenix had been a product of the sleepless nights after the final battle during which he had tried desperately to find something that would soothe his bleeding heart and drown out the screams he could not forget. Iroh had sworn never to tell Zuko about that, though.

For the next half an hour he continued to kneel in front of the pedestal in silence, sipping cup after cup of his tea and watching the sun set behind his nephew, the golden halo it had created slowly diminishing, while shadows played on the prince's marble features. Soon the moon would cast her gaze upon him and he would glow in her cold light. Iroh preferred watching him in sunlight.

Finally, his escort climbed the stairs and announced from a respectful distance that "They're going to serve dinner soon, Uncle. Katara, Sokka and Suki are already there. Mai's on her way. And I'm hungry." With that said, Toph Bei Fong walked back down and waited for Iroh to catch up.

Iroh smiled and rose to his feet. "You heard her. My belly is demanding food just as loudly as she is, so I'd better follow her. You wouldn't want to see me being earthbended to dinner, right?" He chuckled and stepped closer. His fingertips trailed along the pedestal, up one leg, so that he could rest his hand just below Zuko's knee. The marble was still a little warm from the sun.

Eyes closed, Iroh took another moment to lose himself in the moment, in wishful thinking and careful planning.

"I will be back tomorrow morning. Enjoy the fireworks, Zuko. I made them include your favourites, as always."

His gaze rested on the crystal shard for a moment, safely grasped by a marmoreal hand he wished he could hold, somehow extending his reach beyond mortal flesh and cold stone. Oh, how he longed to reach out to him just once more. The sun disappeared completely over the horizon and the light faded from the shards. Fighting a weariness not born from age, Iroh closed his eyes, before he turned around and slowly made his way down from the platform.

Toph was casually leaning against the mahogany railing at the bottom of the stairs, legs crossed at her ankles, arms spread out and resting on the red wood. Tilting her head in Iroh's direction she allowed a small, honest smile to grace her features. "So, how is he?"

And Iroh replied, more light-heartedly than he felt, that Zuko was just the same as always.

They walked back towards the palace in companionable silence.

Toph Bei Fong had grown in more ways than that of age since she had been the headstrong girl he had met in the Earth Kingdom so many years ago. At twentythree she was still pretty short, but her boyishness had receded. Iroh wasn't beyond admitting that she was a pretty thing, although he wished she would grant him the favour of donning a nice dress every once in a while just so he could show off with her a little. He considered the rough earthbender as much part of the family as he found it easy to pretend never having lost a nephew but a second son instead.

Toph's feet were still bare beneath the wide dark green pants she was favouring these days. The sand coloured sleeveless shirt had been a gift from Katara who had mainly given it to her in the hopes of one day getting Toph to wear a matching skirt. As if. As long as she had a say in the matter the earthbender would continue to fight against being dressed like a pretty girl. She liked the shirt, though, for running her fingertips over the soft material she had discovered an intricate pattern of dark green stitching, forming what everyone told her was supposed to be some kind of flower. Toph insisted that she could feel mountains and something that strongly resembled the symbol for her element, Earth.

They had given up on trying to convince her otherwise by now, which was a pity. Toph loved bantering with the others. Especially because it came as no surprise that the stitching could not be identified without doubt, for it had been added by Katara herself.

"We were able to hire two new teachers, by the way." Which was her way of thanking him for his latest donation.

"Wonderful. Will you ever be able to afford a decent hairdresser?" Which was his way of giving her an easy way out of awkward situations in which she tried to thank him for money.

Toph huffed and blew a strand of hair out of her face. She downright refused to have anyone tend to her unruly bangs. They were still her shield, part of her rebellion against the way she had been raised. At least, she was not the only one being constantly nagged because of her hair, the length of which got tamed by nothing but a loose hair band between her shoulders. She had heard that Suki kept telling the marmoreal Zuko to do something about his shaggy hair each year. It was morbid, and at the same time strangely comforting.

"I think my parents are actually considering the attempt to marry me off to one."

Iroh laughed openly. "What a dreadful prospect."

Both of them smiled and fell back into silence once more.

It was true that Toph's parents could still not accept the independence of their daughter. They wanted to see her married and safe within a good husband's estate. It was no use trying to tell them that they'd have to keep possible husbands safe from their own daughter. They did not see the reason why every suitor so far had "run off" at one point or another.

And Toph had not even started acting nasty around them yet.

The earth rumbled slightly underneath her feet, telling her of the festivities going on. It was a nice feeling, like a humming against her feet, whispering to her that the world was alright. Only, it was not. She frowned as she considered the reason why Iroh had asked her to come a few days earlier than the others.

She still had not been able to place the evil Iroh insisted was brewing in his own palace, although she did feel that something was off. It worried her to no end, and she was still afraid someone might see the tenth anniversary of Ozai's defeat as a perfect date to assassinate the Fire Lord. So far, though, everything had been peaceful.

Except for…

"Oh, there you are!"

… Katara.

Toph could hear the waterbender's dress move around her lithe body as she came marching down the palace's front steps like the Fire Lord herself.

"Really? My, am I glad we have you. I'd never have guessed…"

Katara huffed and placed her hands on her hips. Quite in contrast to Toph she was happy to wear the dress Iroh had tailored for her specifically this year when she came to the Fire Naiton. When he complimented her on her looks this fine evening she did not even need to lie about loving the new dress, opting to spin on the balls of her feet a few times instead just to show how perfectly the blue silk moved with her. Fortunately for her, Iroh had not presented her with another huge ball gown. This dress fell naturally around her body as though made of water itself, the blue silk complimenting her dark skin. What she loved most, though, was that Iroh had even thought of her love for travelling the world. If she chose to, she would be able to untie the white lacings travelling up the length of her legs. Combined with trousers the dress would then be practical aside from being stunningly beautiful. The silk was the same colour as her eyes, a startling blue, complimented by white lacings and a broad white beld. The arms were made from a half-transparent white material.

"Are you done showing off?" Toph smirked. She could feel the embarrassed anger flowing off of Katara. And then it eased and she was able to laugh and hug her younger friend.

"It's so good to see you, Toph. Still not married, I hope?"

Toph allowed the waterbender to kiss both her cheeks before flashing her a toothy grin. "The last one paid my parents to keep me away from him."

Katara rand a hand through her hair, still wavy and flowing over her back like a waterfall. Pale blue pearls chimed in them, dangling on a white thread she had woven into her hair. It had been a gift from Aang. Her wide blue eyes twinkled with mirth. "I bet that was a good one. It looks like I'll be heading back to Ba Sing Se for the winter, by the way. Think we can take on another one together then?"

"Sure thing, Sweetness."

Iroh shook his head at the girls' playful banter and plotting. As different as they were, as dangerous was it to leave them to their own means. They could be scary. There had been an incident three years ago that still had his personal staff shudder every time they neared the kitchens.

"Would these two lovely ladies give an old man the pleasure of accompanying him to his seat at the table?"

Katara laughed joyfully. Even after all these years, Iroh could still pull puppy eyes that would make every girl blush. "'t would be our pleasure, oh mighty Fire Lord."

They flanked him and took the arms he offered, setting out for a pleasant dinner, looking forward to catch up with old friends.

Little did they know what took place not all that far away, where those royal and noble war prisoners resided that had been sentenced to a lifetime of imprisonment.

* * *

"I am afraid they suspect."

"That won't do at all. And you still have not found the source of power?"

The voices were hushed, although they had little fear of being overheard. They were utterly alone down here.

"I'm afraid not. I think it's safe to say that it stayed within fire nation territory. So far, I have found no leads supporting your theory that it was moved."

A snort. "Ridiculous! He wouldn't have kept it around. I told you it had to be somewhere else. Probably in Ba Sing Se. Didn't you tell me that he had asked that filthy little earthbender to come earlier?"

"Yes. She has been around for a few days now."

"So?" When there was no answer, the voice continued. "Do you think she's onto you?"

The rustle of clothes and hair was heard. The cloaked figure sitting close to the bars shook their head. "No. She suspects that something is going on, but she can't place her finger on it."

"Wait. Wasn't she supposed to be able to detect lies and everything? Some crap about vibrations in the ground, stuff like that?"

"I made sure some of the earthbenders in the palace are in our pockets for this occasion. They're interfering with the vibrations, very subtly. She doesn't realize what's causing her to feel off in here."

"Hm. Very smart."

The cloaked figure nodded.

"If you're so smart, though, I wonder… WHERE is that damn source of power?" A clanging sound echoed through the halls as hands crashed against metal bars. "You have been looking for it for years now, haven't you? How come you haven't been able to locate it?"

"It is not an easy task. I'm trying my best, but what scarce information there is he keeps hidden away and he rarely speaks about these things. You know him."

"Old fart. He should better start passing on his knowledge, he'll be history soon enough anyway." The voice got a downright nasty edge. "There is something comforting about imagining the many ways a Fire Lord could die these days."

Laughter. The other voice replied when it had died down: "So, you're saying it's not in the Fire Nation even though there's nothing pointing at the source being sent away?"

"Yes. No hints and clues is exactly what's making me believe that it's been shipped somewhere else, especially since you have not been able to find it." There were a few moments of silent thinking. "Probably Ba Sing Se, as I said. He seems to confide in the earthbender most often, right?"

"I don't think he'd trust that girl with something so important."

"We should consider the possibility." Silence fell once again, as each was lost in contemplation. "Hey, is that food I'm smelling?"

"Yes. I brought something they were preparing for dinner."

"Well, give it to me, then!" A demanding hand reached out and a small parcel of food was passed from one person to another. "Smells disgusting."

"You don't have to eat it. I bet it's better than porridge, though."

"Ugh. Don't remind me!" Food was being stuffed into a hungry mouth. The person on the outside leaned back a little, obviously disgusted by the display. "Don't you dare look at me like that. You wouldn't bother with manners either if you had to sit in here. Now go. I need to think about our next steps. Come back tomorrow when they're all still worn out by those so-called celebrations. And keep an eye on the earthbender, you hear me?"

The hooded figure rose and left.

* * *

Dinner had been an entirely pleasant affair. Laughter had filled the Fire Lord's palace along with the most delicious smells. Excited voiced cut into each other as old tales were retold and new ones shared with friends.

Sokka, the only one of the group who had changed his usual blue, white and grey watertribe attire for something deep red, dark brown and black for the occasion, gesticulated widely as he told of the ruckus the announcement of Suki's pregnancy had caused both on Kyoshi Island and on the South Pole. Hakoda had obviously not taken well to Sokka's cheerful "Someone got my wife pregnant! Aang must be so proud!"

The result had been an entire week in which he had chased the visiting Avatar around the South Pole before Suki got him calm enough to explain that "someone" was Sokka and that the reason Aang had for being proud was his being made the child's godfather.

After that Sokka had begged Aang to "fly me outta here, I think my father and my wife are plotting to kill me!"

When Iroh, happy to see the couple moving towards parenthood, asked whether he could touch Suki's belly, Sokka nearly gave the guards in the room a heart attack by waving around his boomerang in a pretty threatening manner, exclaiming that "No fondling means no fondling, Fire Lord or no!" He had obviously heard that the constant rubbing of a pregnant belly could affect the baby and had figured that if anyone touched his wife before the baby had grown enough to start some serious kicking it would be damaged.

"Don't bother explaining to him that touches and soothing conversations can affect the baby in a GOOD and HEALTHY way, Katara. He isn't going to listen anyway", Suki explained, twirling her brown ponytail around a finger and winking. She wore her old Kyoshi uniform along with the matching make-up. It was tradition, after all, and she had sworn to go along with that as long as her belly's size would allow it.

Toph snorted. "So. If soothing conversations are good and healthy for Junior, then we all know who'll be to blame for any gruesome mutations." And with that she knocked Sokka back into his chair via earthbending.

Laughter rang around the room once more. Iroh noticed that even Mai's mouth was twitching ever so softly. He felt constantly sorry for the young woman. Ever since the final battle she had dressed herself in nothing but black from head to toe. It didn't matter what Iroh said; Mai claimed she was mourning. Despite everything, she had loved Zuko, still did and would never replace him. Thus she had chosen a life of solitude and grief, and there was rarely a moment in which one could see her happy or even relaxed. Mai had become a living reminder of everything that had gone wrong in the final battle, of everything they had lost.

Iroh had to force himself to join the laughter.

Dinner stretched out over the next few hours, plenty of conversation lengthening the courses. After the final dessert – an exquisite phoenix made of pudding and ice-cream and cake – they retired to the music chamber, where Iroh took it upon himself to start music night. They all took turns and they all contributed to the occasion in some way. Even Mai, who had been mostly silent during dinner, gifted them with a beautiful if sad song.

As midnight drew close, Iroh led his guests onto a huge balcony overlooking the palace square. Immediately, cheers started to echo through the night, as people from all nations spotted the Fire Lord and their respective war heroes. The sound died down when Iroh, smiling, spread his arms.

"People of all four nations", he called out, his voice easily carrying through the air. Both the balcony and the square were lit by hundreds of torches and candles. "We have come together to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Fire Lord Ozai's defeat, the day on which the Hundred Year War finally came to an end. It was on this very square you are standing on that Avatar Aang freed us from the chains of war. Let us take a moment to pay our respects to those who gave everything to aid his cause."

And with that silence fell over the city, as the people turned their thoughts towards the darker days of war and the dark sides of victory for exactly seventeen minutes, just as it had been for the past 10 years. A minute of each year that he had been able to enjoy his nephew, seventeen minutes for a lifetime, an eternity for every loss and every wound.

When the time of silence had gone by, Iroh was just trying to announce that Avatar Aang would join them later. His explanation was interrupted, however, when a shadow swept over them and landed elegantly on the balcony. The defeaning roar from the crowd almost drowned out Aang's explenation: He hadn't thought he could make it in time, but he sheepishly added that it looked like, as usualy, he was both slightly late and just on time, earning laughter from the crowd and his friends, who welcomed him with joy. There was a bit of awkwardness when Katara and Aang hugged – barely touching and breaking off the contact much too quickly. It was more than they had been able to do last year.

Iroh smiled, glad that Aang had made it to the festivities after all. With a small bow, the Fire Lord stepped back and allowed the Avatar to speak a few words, as usual.

Aang stepped forward and beamed. Ten years might have passed, but he still looked much like the child from the iceberg. His grin was lopsided and slightly embarassed, his eyes were still wide and round and innocent, a soft shade of grey. His clothing was more elegant for the occasion, but in general she knew he still wore dark pants and some cloth widths dyed yellow and orange. He had grown and filled out nicely, although Sokka still stood noticaby taller and broader. Aang's body hinted at the strength he wielded; a gentle exterior that housed more power than any mortal could ever bear. When he turned around to face the crowd her eyes were immediately drawn to the black hair growing from the back of his otherwise bald head; a ponytail as tribute to one of his close comrades, one of his teachers, his brother in spirit.

Katara's eyes filled with tears and she had to avert her gaze. Not for the first time she wondered how they were ever going to move on when they willingly surrounded themselves with these painful memories all the time, refusing to let go what had been lost so long ago.

"Thank you all for your kind and warm welcome. Since we're closing in on midnight I will keep my words short. Ten years have passed since we ended the War, ten years in which much has changed. Today is a very special day. For the next year I will give you the following words to hold in your heart, to brighten rainy days and to make you smile when you'd like to cry. _Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix._ Do not fear change, for no matter how big the struggle, you will find the changes you helped make rewarding. Today is the tenth anniversary of Ozai's Defeat. Today is the day that the first natural airbender was reborn into this world!"

The answering roar of cheering and thunder of applause was even more intense than before.

Katara grabbed Aang's arm. "You did it? You truly did it? You have really brought the airbenders back into the world, not just through Mentoring?"

Aang's smile was as bright as the sun on a summer day. "They named him Aanir." Tears were shining in his eyes and he allowed himself the luxury of being hugged by his friends, each in turn. He would not stop Mentoring people with the right potential who needed to change their lives, he would not stop looking for a way to teach benders their opposite element if they truly wished to make the change. But for now it was enough to know that balance had indeed been restored.

His voice just a little shaky, Aang finally spoke to the crowd again as midnight was upon them. "Let the fireworks end one year of peace and introduce the next!"

Blue and Yellow and Green and Red were the colours filling the nightsky. It was a magnificant sight that reached its peak with the figure of a roaring dragon that used to be red and golden when Zuko fell in love with it as a child and now had scales of every colour. The fireworks ended with a single rocket exploding in a huge golden shower. Gleaming eyes were watching the display, filled with hope and joy and happiness. Iroh smiled through the whole affair, well aware of the fact that he needed to appear in good spirits to his people, to the world. On the inside he wept with every exploding rocket.

They stood there on the balcony for a while, silent and lost in thought, as the firework's smoke slowly dissolved into the night sky.

"I have something I need to tell you. All of you."

They turned towards Iroh with questioning looks in their eyes. His face, though, gave no answer. The Fire Lord had hardened his features as he turned around and walked back into the palace, leading the way towards the throne room.

"What is that about?" Katara was worried. It was rare to see Iroh act like that even when he fulfilled his duties as Fire Lord.

Toph frowned and spoke with a serious tone that worried the rest of the group even further. "I think we better find out. This can't be good. Uncle's been worried about something for a few days." They followed Toph's lead and joined Fire Lord Iroh in his throne room. He did not bother to light all the fires, so that only two torches illuminate the large hall.

The carefree, happy atmosphere had vanished, leaving nothing but cold dread in its wake. What was going on?

"I regret having to ruin what has so far been a most wonderful day", Iroh announced. "But there are things I need to discuss with you. Things I would not entrust anyone else with." His eyes swept over the group of young adults, lingering on Aang and Toph. "What I am going to announce will not leave this group of people. You must be extremely careful about how and where you choose to talk about it once we leave the throne room again." Iroh drew a deep breath. "Now. The first thing I want you to know is that I plan to step down from my throne."

"What?" Aang looked positively horrified.

Katara shook her head. "You can't step down, Iroh. The Fire Nation needs you. We need you! You are one of the central figures of peace. It is too soon for you to give up your position."

"You're healthy, Iroh." Mai's voice held the same slightly bored edge as usual, as though reciting well-known facts to children who would not listen anyway. "You are aging, but you are not old. Why would you step down?"

Iroh nodded. "Somehow I knew you were going to ask that question, Mai. And it is true, there seems to be no logical reason for what I need to do. But I will tell you this: Trouble is brewing in this very palace. Things are being set into motion that I have no control over."

"So, there's someone threatening the world order we established?" Aang shook his head slightly. "But we expected that. We expected it much sooner, even. Things have been going a bit too smoothly, but I think none of us ever quite stopped questioning the lack of uproar."

A smile spread onto Iroh's lips once more, but his gaze was filled with regret. "Yes, we were expecting trouble sooner. But this is much different from what we were prepared to handle. I cannot trust anyone but you in this matter." His eyes swept over them, taking in how they had changed, and how they were somehow still the same. Aang, Katara, Toph, Mai, Sokka and Suki. Who could help him sort this out if not them? "I asked Toph to join me in the palace a few days prior to the anniversary. I asked her to keep her senses alert to signs of trouble, any indication of foul work being done. Unfortunately, she found nothing. Which is proof of what I've been suspecting all along, since my guards arrested a man armed with poisonous daggers on the palace grounds a few hours ago."

Toph gasped. "No way, Uncle! I would have sensed that!"

"Which is exactly my point. Someone is pulling strings in here that I haven't been able to detect yet. Someone, I believe, wants me dead. I also believe that this someone futhermore wants to destroy everything we've been working for. I do not believe that this is a mere attempt to place another Fire Lord on the throne." Iroh stared into the flames, then looked directly at Aang. "Someone is plotting to shatter the peace and resume the work Ozai and Azula failed to complete."

Sokka pulled Suki closer towards himself, worry and determination clouding his eyes.

"That is all the more reason for you not to step down, Iroh. We will protect you. We can do this." Katara had crossed her arms over her chest, a dangerous storm raging in her blue eyes.

Iroh shook his head. "If the circumstances were any different, I would agree with you. I will not step down immediately, Katara. I will only step down when I can place someone else on the throne, someone with the power to aid you in the battles that are going to come." His voice dropped to a whisper. "There are forces at work which I cannot reveal to you as of yet. Just believe me when I say that more than just my throne is being threatened here. S much more." His gaze clouded over.

"So you want to prepare someone for the task of taking over your throne", Aang concluded, nodding. "Whom did you have in mind?"

Mai cocked an eyebrow. "You have no relatives left who could be crowned Fire Lord. Naming an outsider will cause more trouble than it's worth."

"Wait!" Sokka sat up, eyes bright. "You're going to name one of us? That is so amazing! I'm sure that's going to work out perfectly fine. Imagine that… Fire Lord Aang, perhaps?" Suki punched him on the arm and kept him from interrupting again with a glare.

"I have an heir", Iroh announced, voice grave and heavy. "I just need you to find him and bring him here."

They were confused. Understanding dawned in Aang's eyes first. "No…", he whispered, willing Iroh not to voice what he feared was coming. But just as he made the wish it was denied, and Iroh spoke the words that Aang felt were going to change everything that had been accomplished in the past ten years.

"I need you to find Zuko."

* * *

_"Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix"  
Quoted from Christina Baldwin_

This… was one long chapter. I honestly didn't plan for it to turn out this long. But there was so much that just needed to be included – and so much that I deliberately left out so that you'll have some more mysteries to ponder.

So, what is going on? Has grief pushed Iroh over the edge? Is he planning to hunt phantoms? Who is plotting against the Gaang and what do they wish to accomplish? Is Zuko still alive? What happened ten years ago?

Questions, questions. You will get answers!

In the meantime, please leave some reviews for me to enjoy.

Yours,

Inkcharm


	3. Ch 2: An Empty Grave

**Title:** Into the Dark  
**Author:** Inkcharm  
**Summary:** No one has quite decided whether they want to believe the story about Zuko's survival. While the gaang deals with pains from the past, a dangerous plot is advanced further.  
**Warnings:** angst, violence, AU-ish (changes most events as shown in "Sozin's Comet")  
**Pairings:** Zutara, Kataang, Toko, Maiko, Sukka  
**Disclaimer:** The TV show "Avatar - The Last Airbender" does not belong to me, nor do its characters or anything related to the show. I make no profit out of this story; it is written merely for fun and entertainment of other fans.  
**Part:** 2/?  
**A/N:** At the start of the show, both Aang and Toph were 12 years old, Katara was 14, Sokka, 15, and Zuko, 16. As far as I know, a year has passed between the show's start and the finale. Since this story takes place ten years into the future, I'm going to assume the following ages: Aang and Toph are 23, Katara is 25, Sokka 26 and that would make Zuko 27.

* * *

**Into the Dark **  
_Chapter 2: An Empty Grave_

_--_

"_What will I do after the war? Hm. Well, I'll probably go looking for my mother. One last adventure. And then I'll settle down in the Palace again, I guess. I'll help Uncle and I'll learn from him. And maybe, someday, I'll be a decent Fire Lord. It's really the only possibility, isn't it? … No. I do not consider death an option."_

--

"I have an heir", Iroh announced, voice grave and heavy. "I just need you to find him and bring him here." He heard Aang's whispered protest. Iroh was not surprised that the young Avatar would be the first to jump to the correct conclusion. It tore at him to lay this task upon them. But what choice was there, really? It was time to try restoring what was left. So Iroh looked at them and made his voice sound strong and confident. "I need you to find Zuko."

The silence weighed heavy in the room. Ever so slowly, Suki lifted a hand and then froze halfway to covering her mouth, slightly open in shock. Aang had closed his eyes, the hands resting on his knees clenched into fists. Katara turned her head and looked at him, her own blue eyes wide. Her gaze stopped at the ponytail trailing from his otherwise bald head. Sokka opened and closed his mouth a few times, until he settled for taking his wife's hand in his, offering and taking comfort from the physical contact. Toph and Mai both were perfectly still until the older woman stood and walked a few steps towards Iroh, before turning around and walking back again.

No one dared to offer any words. Somehow, they had all silently decided that it was up to Mai to break the silence. And she did. Her voice was barely more than a whisper, a hiss, but it carried through the room nonetheless.

"Zuko is dead."

Iroh looked at his young companions and found that none would meet his eyes. "He is not", he offered, voice as gentle as he could make it, for all of their sakes.

Mai bowed her head, one hand covering her closed eyes. No one could see whether she was crying or fighting to hold back tears. Her voice was strained. "Don't do this, Iroh. Don't spoil his sacrifice by claiming there was none. Don't declare my mourning worthless by claiming there was nothing to mourn."

"I won't, Mai. There is a sacrifice to be honoured. There is a loss to be mourned."

"How can you say these things? You just claimed he was alive."

Iroh nodded. "I know it's not easy…"

Mai held up her hand, willing Iroh to stop. He did. She turned around, face once more hard and cold, hiding her emotions and thoughts behind impenetrable walls. "It's impossible", she stated in a voice that allowed no protest.

Suki, however, just squeezed Sokka's hands more tightly and looked up, blue eyes wide. "But… there was never a body…"

Aang flinched. "No. Zuko is dead. There are so many ways a body can disappear, never to be found again. Had he been alive, though… someone would have seen him. Someone would KNOW. The whole world knows his face! Forgive me, Iroh, but it's been ten years. Don't you think that if Zuko had survived, he would have come back? I mean… he had… things to come back for… right?"

Sokka's eyes were restlessly moving through the dark and gloomy room. "He wanted to find his mother. And then he wanted to learn to become a good Fire Lord one day."

"He was in no condition to survive even just a few days on his own." Mai shook her head. "Believing anything else would be foolish, and you know it." There was an old ache written clearly in her every word.

"Aang has searched for him. He has searched for three years." Katara's voice broke and she could say no more. The young Avatar looked lost for a moment, then he carefully placed a hand on her shoulder. The waterbender shifted her eyes towards him, tears brimming in the blue depths. There was mutual pain in the glance they shared.

"Do you KNOW he's alive?"

Everyone looked at Toph, then towards Iroh. The Fire Lord glanced into the flame of one torch, gazing into the distance, into the past. Before his inner eye, he could see the gleam of sunlight on a pure white statue, the orange glow softening memorial features. How often had those features moved, had him believing for just a second that his beloved nephew was there with him? Was he fooling himself?

No.

"Yes."

Toph was on her feet in an instant. "And you never TOLD us? You knew he was alive all along and you kept it from us? Damn it! Why? Why, Uncle?"

A lone tear slipped down Iroh's cheek, silencing the words dangling on everyone else's tongues. "I have very strong reasons to believe that Zuko is alive, somehow, somewhere. The only reason I haven't told you about it, was… well… you remember how he was after the battle. You remember what happened. We couldn't hold him then, and we couldn't do it now, not unless he was willing to be held. But I believe that he is finally ready to come home."

Suki straightened up, hand resting on her belly. She could see the pain etched into everyone's features, the group torn between thinking Zuko was dead, and wanting to believe otherwise. "How do you know?" she asked, making her voice soft for Iroh's sake. The Fire Lord looked so much older all of a sudden, so much wearier.

They all knew how much Iroh still loved his nephew. Most of the time it seemed to them that he had always considered Zuko more of a second son than a nephew, and they had wondered often how the aging Fire Lord could see day after day with the knowledge of having lost both his precious sons.

Heaving a deep sigh, Iroh focused on the group of young people once more. It was all there in their eyes, all the hope and despair and disbelief, all the pain and grief and anger.

"It's just a theory", he announced. He didn't even need to close his eyes in order to see it before him, to see what he had hidden so carefully, and yet so blatantly in sight. "When Zuko disappeared, he left something behind. It is, I believe, connected to him in some way. There's reason to believe that it would indicate such a drastic change in his condition as death. You must be wondering why I never told you." Iroh closed his eyes. "You have to understand that I could never be sure. At times I was convinced that I had to be right, that something would tell me of his death. At other times I would doubt my own conclusions. I have researched the problem every way I could and yet I never found a clear answer. Two weeks ago something happened to prove my theory. There was a change in the object he left behind. A good change."

"You're making less sense by the second", Mai snapped. Everyone flinched, raised their eyebrows or showed other signs of confusion. The dark girl was not known to snap or yell. She was not known to have shown any emotions after Zuko's disappearance ten years ago. There hadn't even been tears, just this quiet, never-ending mourning.

Katara jumped into the discussion at this, although she deliberately kept her voice soft. "What Mai probably means is that all of this sounds pretty… far-fetched, actually. I can understand why you hope for Zuko to have survived all these years. On some level, none of us could ever grasp the thought that he had been taken from us so soon after he had entered our lives. For the longest time, he was our enemy, and we never got the chance to form a lasting friendship with him before it was all... over." Her voice nearly broke as tears slipped down her face. "But now you tell us that you think he has been alive all this time. And we never knew. You sound as though he had left some kind of… magical artefact in your care."

"Not intentionally", Iroh confirmed. "And it's less of an artefact. It's more of a... piece of him. It is difficult to explain. However, now that it seems to be active… I believe the Avatar could confirm what I can't put into open words. Not here." Iroh sighed again. "I can't risk telling you all the details. You won't have to start searching right away. Let me go on a little walk with the Avatar and we will continue this conversation in the morning. Get some rest. Sleep on it."

Though how anyone was supposed to sleep after this conversation, no one knew.

* * *

They walked in silence, Iroh relaxed and Aang tense. The Avatar kept glancing at the aging Fire Lord, a whirlwind of emotion written in Aang's face. It was another thing that had never changed about him, and Iroh was glad about it. His feelings were etched into his features, there for anyone to read.

The night had fallen silent by now, the festivities put to a rest until morning came. It was eerie, especially considering how much laughter and music had filled the air not all that long ago. To Iroh, though, it was calming. This was more appropriate.

Without saying a single word, he led Aang up the stairs. The Capital was plunged in darkness, nearly all the lights put out and most citizens asleep. The stars stood out on their blanket of dark velvet, so far apart and yet radiating a feeling of belonging and peace. There was no moon tonight.

Aang gazed into the air and felt himself missing it. The moon always reminded him of Katara, of things he still hoped for on lonely nights, and of things lost. The memories sparked by the moon were mostly good, although some would make his eyes sting even now. New moon nights just served to make him sad. Zuko had been ripped out of their lives on a night like this. Katara and he had broken apart on a night like this.

"I like to imagine he is out there, somewhere, watching the stars just as we are doing. It would be so poetic, don't you think? If we made ourselves believe that he was watching the stars at the same time we did and was thinking about us as we are thinking about him, wouldn't that be exquisitely bittersweet?"

Aang glanced at Iroh out of the corner of his grey eyes. He noticed that the Fire Lord's eyes were not fixed on the stars, but on the ponytail sprouting from Aang's otherwise bald head. All his friends had freaked when he had adopted this hairstyle. They didn't understand that he needed something with him all the time to remind him of his biggest failure. Sometimes Aang even found himself wondering if the way in which they had lost Zuko could be considered a lot worse than the way in which he had lost his whole people.

"Do you think that ten years would have been enough to heal him?"

Iroh places a hand on Aang's elbow. "You still do not believe he has survived? Come. Over there. Can you not feel it?"

Aang frowned and allowed Iroh to lead him to their destination after one more glance at his younger statue-self. Then he was faced with the memorial Zuko. Coming here was always a little painful for him. Had Zuko survived, Aang knew that life would have been very different. Maybe he would have never been granted the few years of a nice relationship he'd had with Katara. Those had been happy years.

Except, when he was being honest with himself, he had to admit that they had not been all that happy. Even in his supposed death, Zuko had stood between them. And while Aang knew it was wrong to blame the firebender, each time he walked up to this statue he feared again that something inside of him, some green monster, would leap out and attack the white statue, unleashing the anger of a failed relationship on the one person who had, after all, no more influence over matters. It wouldn't have been fair towards Zuko, but then again, it had never been fair to have a phantom standing between the Avatar and the love of his life.

_"You just like to mess with us, don't you?"_ he thought, but the tone of his mental voice was fond. Each year, when he visited, he would share a few words with Zuko. Sometimes he wished the hot headed firebender was there to whack him on the head and call him sentimental. Aang couldn't really help himself, though. _"You always had to do things the hard way, and you always took the longest path. You were a whirlwind, Zuko, and I think, to some extent, you liked causing all that fuss. Sometimes, I just wish you had taken the long and hard road with Katara, too. Maybe the two of us could still be happy if you hadn't charmed her. I don't blame you. It's not hard to become very fond of her. Did you fall in love with her, Zuko? Was it just a crush? Did you know I loved her, too? Sometimes, I don't think you did. You have always been a little clueless about these things. And now you mess with us again. Uncle claims to know that you're still alive. I think you're dead. I think, somehow, it would be for the better. We have all changed, but there's a certain balance. Yes, Katara and I broke up, but… I do like to believe that time can mend us back together. What would happen if you were alive, truly? All the possible answers scare me a little. I have told myself over and over again that I did everything for you I possibly could, but, if you came back now, maybe I'd find out I didn't after all, and that would just…"_

Aang stopped himself and glanced up, his grey eyes focusing on the shard.

"Wait. What IS that? It didn't feel like this last year."

Iroh nodded. "It is what I meant. This is all that Zuko left behind, and, two weeks ago, it started to feel like this."

"Hold on." Aang leant in closer and stared very hard. Then his eyes went wide. "He left this behind and on top of not telling us about it you put it right here? In plain sight?" The Avatar looked at Iroh and then laughed. "Brilliant, Uncle!"

Iroh smiled. "I'm trying."

"So. What exactly is this?" Aang watched the light playing to the gleaming surface. "I can't really make sense of it. It feels different. And yet… on some level… it feels like… well. Me."

"Zuko's body harboured a strength within him that you saw unleashed against Ozai and Azula ten years ago. I always took it as something he inherited. You know from whom Zuko descends directly?"

Aang raised an eyebrow. "Fire Lord Sozin, naturally."

Iroh nodded and looked up at his nephew's statue. "From his father's line, true. But from his mother's line he descends from none other than Avatar Roku." He smiled when Aang repeated his former incarnation's name in a shocked way. "It would explain why you feel the energy radiating from the shard feels like your own."

Slowly, Aang extended a hand, but stopped himself from actually touching the shard. After a while, he lowered his hand. "But that does not tell us anything. A source of power like this one could be activated for a lot of reasons."

Of course, Iroh agreed. "Still. Something just tells me that Zuko is ready to be found. Wouldn't that be exquisitely bittersweet."

Somehow, Aang found himself thinking along the same path.

* * *

Neither of the pair had noticed the hooded figure. As quickly and silently as the person had come, they disappeared again. It was not easy sneaking into the prison built for royal and noble criminals after the war at this hour, but the person managed.

The shadow on the cot groaned, before it finally rose and came forward to the bars. "What now?"

"The source of power is the shard this dratted statue is holding in its hands."

"It has been here after all. I'm amazed. And he even put it in such a public space. This is getting better by the day. It means when everything is put into motion we'll have enough time to walk up to that statue and snatch the shard right off it."

"Consider the existence of other shards. A shard is part of a whole. If there are more, it also means more power. He said that Prince Zuko had left part of himself behind."

A snort. "How poetic."

"It gets even better. The shard might contain traces of an Avatar's power. Iroh didn't tell Avatar Aang the details, but, obviously, Prince Zuko was much more powerful than we had imagined him to be."

"Good thing he's dead then."

"He's not. Iroh says he's alive. He wants to send the Avatar and his friends out to find him and bring him back. A fool's errand, if you ask me."

"Well, I recall a certain someone being banished and set up with a fool's errand that proved to be not quite as foolish as planned. But this might work to our advantage. Let them travel the world. It should give us enough time for our own plan. I can't believe that after all this time spent searching and sneaking around, he finally more or less showed you the solution."

Silence hung for a moment, then the voice in the cell laughed.

"And here I was thinking shards were bad luck."

* * *

There was no moon tonight. Katara found herself longing for it. She needed guidance. What was she to do? What was she to believe?

Closing her eyes, she saw Zuko's face appear out of the darkness in all its teenage and scarred handsomeness. When she dreamed of him, he always wore that smirk of his instead of a real smile, lifting one corner of his mouth and cocking his head in a way that made you forget everything – whom you were supposed to love and whom you were supposed to fight in a few hours' time.

They had kissed.

He had tasted like a sunrise, sweet and beautiful, and this simple touch of lips had melted her on the spot. It hadn't even been a special kiss. No words of love were uttered, no vows were shared. They had made each other no promises, and somehow, deep down, Katara still knew that they would have ended up with each other anyway, had everything gone well. There had never been anything more than the simple touch of lips on lips, sweet and gentle and chaste. It had burnt her.

Of course, she had loved Aang. Zuko was similar and yet different, and some part of her had never stopped longing for the chance she had ultimately lost.

There seemed to be new hope now. But how could she hope for Zuko to be alive when it meant that the words she had thrown in Aang's face two years ago would be proven kind of true?

_You didn't look hard enough._

But he did, and she had witnessed it. Aang had pushed himself beyond exhaustion in the three years he had spent looking for Zuko. The Avatar had witnessed that one kiss and he had still considered Zuko enough of a friend to do everything in his power to get him back. So, if Aang had truly searched with the passion she had witnessed and knowingly refused to acknowledge, how could it be that Zuko was alive after all?

What was she to believe?

Toph believed what Iroh was saying, Katara knew that. The earthbender believed Zuko to be alive and was at this moment packing up. She wanted to embark on the journey as soon as humanly possible, screw proof or reason. If Iroh had so much of a spark of hope in Zuko's survival left, that was enough for the earthbender. She wanted Sparky back, after all.

Katara sighed and opened her eyes. She and Aang had been getting better with each other again. For a while now, she had been considering the possibility of them making up, for he had never been anything but good to her, after all.

If Zuko was alive, it would shatter the fragile bonds of love connecting Katara and Aang. So was he dead or not? Did she want to believe him alive, or not?

Frowning, Katara tried to picture the empty bed, searching her memory for any indication of this thing Zuko had left behind, according to Iroh. But nothing came to her.

Just a simple bed, white sheets, a room devoid of any other furnishings. An open window, the drapes billowing in the wind. The bloodstained leather restraints that had held Zuko down dangling from the bed, the clothes neatly folded and placed next to the window.

He had left everything behind.

He had left all of them behind.

* * *

"You have been staring into space for more than an hour."

Sokka turned his head, made a weak attempt to smile, and gave it up in the end. "I just... I guess I'm…"

Suki joined her husband on the small terrace adjoined to their bedroom. She had brought a robe just in case he felt cold, but had done so more out of habit. It was hard for him to shiver anywhere outside his home nation. Sometimes, though, cold didn't creep into your bones from the outside. It had snuck into your very core a long time ago, and it would wait for the perfect moment to make itself known, squeezing your insides with freezing claws. They all knew the feeling of guilt, and Suki understood how heavily it rested upon Sokka's shoulders. Over the past ten years, he had learned to live with it, even though these wounds were torn open annually, over and over again. This year was worse than ever.

"You're pondering Zuko again. The night he disappeared."

"How could I not?" Sokka stared into the endless night sky and a sadness that didn't belong in this young man stole into his eyes. "He cried for help. And I didn't even check because I was tired and I thought he was just having another fit. And then he was gone and all he left behind were empty restraints. And something else apparently, something that might mean I didn't kill him."

Gently, Suki tugged on Sokka's hands, gazing into his eyes until he finally allowed himself to be led inside again. Together they settled down in bed. It was one of those rare nights in which Sokka curled up against his wife, allowing himself to be cradled. Sometimes, he missed his mother. Sometimes, he missed living with Katara. But Suki was wonderful and soft, gentle and understanding, and she never mocked his guilt or his tears or his nightmares.

"You did not kill Zuko", she whispered and brushed her fingers through his hair. "None of us could judge the extent of the damage. We were all tired."

She had never told anyone about her own watch during those few nights. Up to this day, she still felt too ashamed of her own actions, of walking into his room, smashing a fist into the headboard of the bed and actually bellowing at him to stop screaming. Suki had just been so tired, so very tired, and Zuko's screams had cut so deep into her heart. She had not been able to bear it, but she had regretted her actions the instant she saw the naked fear in that wide golden eye. He had fought the restraints more violently than ever before afterwards, but not before breaking into heart wrenching sobs. Suki would never tell. She was barely able to keep from hating herself for snapping like that. It hadn't even been his fault.

Strangely enough, what stood out most in her memory up to this day was the blood flecking his pale lips. In the one day and two nights they had tried to help him after the final battle, he had rarely stopped screaming, causing his throat to tear.

"I did not kill him", Sokka repeated her words. "But I didn't do a damn thing to help him, either."

Of course, they all knew that there had been nothing else to be done, truly. Aang had tried his very best to use his newfound spiritbending to reach into Zuko and fix whatever had gone wrong, but he hadn't even gotten close enough. The second his eyes had started glowing Zuko had freaked out enough to set himself on fire. At least the slight scorching had been a kind of damage that Katara had been able to work with.

"He disappeared on my watch", Sokka mumbled. Suki pulled him closer, fighting her own tears. "He called for help. If there's the slightest chance he might be alive after all, I have to go and find him. I have to make it up to him."

Suki closed her eyes and sang Sokka a soft lullaby with a voice shaking from tears and bitter memories. Occasionally, her husband would repeat these words until he fell into a restless sleep.

_"He called for help."_

--

_TBC..._

* * *

This was a lot shorter than the previous chapter, but I still hope you like it. This hints strongly at what happened right after the final battle, but don't worry, there will be a whole chapter dedicated to the events ten years ago eventually where everything will be cleared up. For now, I just like to keep you guessing.

Thank you for reading! Please leave a review. Did you like this? Do you want to know what happened to Zuko? Do you think you know who the two conspirators in the dungeons are? Let me know, please!

Yours,  
Inkcharm


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